NEW YEARS: MONITOR BLOODSUGAR & WEIGHT

[xrpsuzi]

Have you tried brown rice? That seems to do a little better for me. Pizza seems to be my bane. I don't know if it is the crust or the sauce.

Brown rice is better than white rice, but it's still bad. Barley is what I use as a rice substitute in meals, but even then, I find the ratio (by volume) between veggies and starch is very important. If I'm eating mostly veggies, I can have a little starch without by sugars spiking too high.

Disclaimer: I'm doing this without medication at the moment, so my spikes are a little more variable than most diabetics.

Researchers are using reptilian digestive enzymes in new medications to help diabetics (type II) break down food properly and I've heard they help people lose weight because they curb appetite and the illusive hunger doesn't hit.

Constant hunger (even afer eating) was one of the signs that tipped me off that I might be diabetic.

-Suzi

 

[Scotley]

Brown rice is better than white rice, but it's still bad. Barley is what I use as a rice substitute in meals, but even then, I find the ratio (by volume) between veggies and starch is very important. If I'm eating mostly veggies, I can have a little starch without by sugars spiking too high.

Disclaimer: I'm doing this without medication at the moment, so my spikes are a little more variable than most diabetics.

Researchers are using reptilian digestive enzymes in new medications to help diabetics (type II) break down food properly and I've heard they help people lose weight because they curb appetite and the illusive hunger doesn't hit.

Constant hunger (even afer eating) was one of the signs that tipped me off that I might be diabetic.

-Suzi

I've been told that batsmati (spelling?) rice was even better than brown, but I don't have any hard evidence for this. I do know that 'quick' or 'instant' versions are more likely to cause a spike than the long cooking versions. I haven't been eating much barley, but I'll have to try that.

The new drugs I mentioned above (Januvia and Galvus along with the injection only Byetta) are the ones made from synthetic lizard spit enzimes. Metformin/Glucophage can curb appetite as well and is a popular choice for pre-diabetics. I lost about 15 pounds taking it. Then I started on Actos as well and gained 40. Needless to say I have high hopes for the new drugs.

 

[xrpsuzi]

I've been told that batsmati (spelling?) rice was even better than brown, but I don't have any hard evidence for this. I do know that 'quick' or 'instant' versions are more likely to cause a spike than the long cooking versions. I haven't been eating much barley, but I'll have to try that.

Basmati rice is a long grain white rice grown in the himalayas, and it is the "rich" rice, kinda like jasmine rice in Chinese society. I don't know if it's any easier on the blood sugar, but you should see the look of disdain I get when my 83 year old grandmother sees me cook brown rice.

The way is was explained to me, the more processed a starch was, the easier it is to digest, the shorter amount of time it takes your body to break it down--which is bad if your body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't effeciently use the insulin you make. Thus they tell diabetics to eat whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

In India, eating 1/2 a roti (think tortilla but made from wheat flour or a mix of wheat and chana flour) with lunch was fine, but eating the same amount of baked bread always made me spike worse.

Barley is low on the glycemic index, you can cook it to simulate the puffy goodness of rice, and you can put it in soups to help thicken (rather than rice, potatoes, or pasta).

The new drugs I mentioned above (Januvia and Galvus along with the injection only Byetta) are the ones made from synthetic lizard spit enzimes. Metformin/Glucophage can curb appetite as well and is a popular choice for pre-diabetics. I lost about 15 pounds taking it. Then I started on Actos as well and gained 40. Needless to say I have high hopes for the new drugs.

I'm looking into medications if I cannot get my blood sugar level on just dieting and exercise in the next few months. I'll keep this in mind in my search.

-Suzi

 

[Scotley]

Thanks for the info. I guess I need to dust off my cookbooks and see what I can do with barley. My experience is limited to beef and barley soup. I try to keep the starches, especially the highly processed ones to a minimum, but having a lower GI substitute would be handy.

 

[Scotley]

Sorry for the thread hi-jack megamania. Hope you keep it under control. Before I got diagnosed and started treatment I was a real bear. I know what you are dealing with in terms of moodyness. Be glad you have a supportive wife. I was lucky in that respect too.

 

[megamania]

Glad to see things going well for you. Exercise is key, and unfortunately, the hardest part for me at least. How is your Hemoglobin A1c score running? I find that to be more helpful to me than stuggling with daily numbers. We all have bad days, but the A1c tells you if you are doing well over all. I work to keep mine at 7--ideally under 7 and some say under 6.5. There are some very promising if expensive new drugs out in recent months--Januvia and Galvus. They aren't expected to cause weight gain like some of the current popular treatments--Actos, Avandia, Glimepiride and Glipizide.

I do the "official" Hemoglobin test once every three months. I tend to score between 6.9 and 7.5 which is part of why I'm pushing myself to improve. Complications from time with diabeteis lessens greatly if under 7.0.

As I am going onto 38 years old I am becoming painfully aware of age and what it does to you. I'm not a college student anymore.....

 

[megamania]

Have you tried brown rice? That seems to do a little better for me. Pizza seems to be my bane. I don't know if it is the crust or the sauce.

Both, Crust has the carbs and the sauce has the sugars.

I

Love

my

pizza

 

[megamania]

Sorry for the thread hi-jack megamania. Hope you keep it under control. Before I got diagnosed and started treatment I was a real bear. I know what you are dealing with in terms of moodyness. Be glad you have a supportive wife. I was lucky in that respect too.

No apoligies required. This is exactly what I wanted. This reminds me I am not alone and gives me some ideas on food that I may not have thought of before.

As for a supportive wife..... that is another story. But things are better now.

 

[megamania]

Decided to check myself before going to bed.

97

244 pounds.

The scale I am using is at work and designed for frieght so I'm sure it will not be accurate but I am curious about the weight gain.

 

[kenobi65]

Both, Crust has the carbs and the sauce has the sugars.

I

Love

my

pizza

I love pizza, too, and as long as it's thin crust, it doesn't make my sugar spike much at all. (The deep-dish Chicago-style pizza that's popular here has a huge amount of crust, and is...problematic. )

My post-prandial number (2 hours after starting the meal) for thin-crust pizza is usually around 110 to 120.

Thank gawd, because if I had to give up pizza, I'd slit my wrists.